An NFL move that once felt impossible is starting to get some buzz around New England: Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Patriots.
The Cardinals took Harrison with the fourth pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, just one slot after the Patriots grabbed Drake Maye. But less than three years later, the idea of Harrison in a different uniform is at least on the table, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano has suggested Arizona could be open to a change of scenery.
“The team signed fellow wide receiver Michael Wilson Jr. to a contract extension this offseason,” Graziano wrote. “They have a new coaching staff and a new offense.
Harrison is extension-eligible after this season, and as of now, the Cardinals would have a hard time paying him based on what he’s shown in the league so far. It’s worth watching out for a potential change-of-scenery deal in this case.”
That’s where the Patriots enter the conversation. New England could use another receiver, especially with the wideout room moving forward without A.J.
Brown for at least another 3-5 weeks because of a high ankle sprain. Harrison, a 6-foot-3 target with obvious talent, would give Maye another big-time option to work with.
Harrison’s NFL start hasn’t matched the hype. After a strong rookie season in 2024, when he caught 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns, he slipped in 2025 with 41 catches on 73 targets for 608 yards and four touchdowns. Through his first three seasons, he has mainly been catching passes from Kyler Murray and Jacoby Brissett, and the fit in New England could look different with Maye under center.
On Thursday’s “Zolak & Bertrand” on 98.5 The Sports Hub, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer said some football sources have pointed to a “toughness issue” when discussing Harrison’s struggles.
“So who can get through to him on the toughness part of it? And I would say Mike Vrabel would probably be one of the guys who could,” Breer said.
Breer also said that if Arizona were willing to move Harrison for a Day 3 pick, it could be worth the gamble for a Patriots team that still has a clear need at receiver.
“I mean, A.J. Brown is - you want him to be your number one [receiver] when he comes back, and then maybe he’s your number one for another year.
But then you don’t have an answer beyond that. That’s where it might be worth taking the flyer.”
Vrabel’s background could matter here, too. Breer noted that the Patriots coach, an Ohio State alum who also coached there from 2011-13, would have access to a strong network of information on Harrison.
“Mike Vrabel is going to be privy to the best information on Marvin Harrison because of where he went to school,” Breer said. “So he’s going to be - whatever the goods are on Marvin Harrison.
Like Mike Vrabel knows [former Ohio State wide receivers coach / offensive coordinator] Brian Hartline, who was Harrison’s guy at Ohio State. He knows [Ohio State head coach] Ryan Day.
He knows everybody in that program.”
None of that guarantees Harrison would turn into the franchise receiver New England wants. But if the Cardinals really do make him available, the Patriots would at least make sense as a team to watch.
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